Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Who Found Their Forever Homes, Part IX

Another success story! Remember Wags? Well, his new name is Eddie and his new forever home is with Emma. Here is what Emma had to say about her Orphans of the Storm® adoption experience:

Q: Why Orphans of the Storm®?A: I had actually looked at other shelters in addition to Orphans, however the staff at Orphans were by far the friendliest to work with which was very encouraging to me. I just remember feeling like they were all so happy to see one of their orphans get a home as opposed to other shelters I had visited. The way Orphans of the Storm® operates was far more reassuring to me and I felt very encouraged that they knew the personality of their animals but would also let you learn more about them for yourself.

Eddie’s “dork sit”

Q: How did you hear about Orphans of the Storm®?A: My family has friends who are former Orphans of the Storm® adopters.

Eddie enjoying the fresh air in his backyard

Q: What made you want to adopt from a shelter?A: I have always been pro-adoption so when I decided to get a dog, I knew I wanted to adopt.

Eddie napping in Emma’s lap

Q: Was this your first pet dog?A: Eddie is my first pet dog.

Eddie cuddling with Emma’s boyfriend

Q: Did you have a specific breed/age/size/other trait in mind when you first came to the shelter?A: I knew I didn’t want a puppy and I preferred a smaller, short-haired dog. However, I knew none of that would matter when I found the right dog. I had the general “guidelines” of what I was looking for, but a part of me knew that I would just feel it when I found the right dog. And that is exactly what happened when I met Eddie.

Q: How many dogs did you visit with in one of the off-leash runs before you decided on your dog?A: I visited 4 dogs including Eddie.

Eddie napping on the couch with his “cousin” Gracie

Q: What about your dog sealed your decision to adopt him?A: I really can’t explain what it was about Eddie that sealed the decision. There was just something about him, an instant connection. After signing all the paperwork, I just sat with him for a while. He had to go to the vet before I could take him home so I had to wait almost about 24 hours before I could bring him home. That was harder than I would have imagined. I barely left the shelter without tearing up!

Eddie wearing Emma’s Iowa State shirt

Q: How did your dog respond to transitioning from shelter life to home life?A: Eddie did great transitioning to home life. He actually had to adjust to a new home twice since I adopted him while at home with my parents in Illinois and then a few weeks later I moved to my townhouse at school in Ames, Iowa. I’m sure he was at one point in a home before he ended up in the shelter because he just took to home life so well. It was like he instantly knew what to do. He only had one accident in the house and he quickly learned to let me know that he had to go potty rather than hold it until I let him out.

Eddie watching rabbits

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?A: The whole experience adopting from Orphans of the Storm® was wonderful and I would absolutely go back to them if I ever decided to get Eddie a brother/sister. Eddie has been such a positive addition to my life and I can hardly remember life without him and we’ve only been together for a little over two months! His name was originally Wags, which is very suiting for him since his tail is wagging more than it isn’t. But I generally like the idea of new home, new name and I really like people names for pets. I went through a lot of possibilities before deciding on Eddie, which is actually short for Edwin (an English name meaning Prosperous Friend). Eddie has so many cute little quirks about him that I absolutely adore: the way he sits, all the different barks he has, and the way he will just stare at you and wag his tail, and my favorite is when he is circling while you pet him and smacking himself in the face with his tail–it’s just too cute! I honestly could talk about Eddie for hours. Sometimes he can make me a little crazy but he is my baby boy and I wouldn’t trade him for anything!

Eddie’s “dork sit”, take 2

Thank you for sharing your success story with us, Emma! We always love to hear how happy former Orphans dogs are in their new homes!

If you would like to share your Orphans of the Storm® success story, please email meetthepooches@gmail.com.